Rapoport: Jalon Daniels earns Bucs’ backup QB job

Daniels added 55 yards on the ground. It was a long day for the UDFA rookie. The Bucs had five drives in the first half. They went three-and-out twice. Daniels was intercepted twice. And Sean Tucker punched in a short score. Daniels started to find his rhythm in the second half and tossed his first career touchdown to Kenneth Gainwell on an impressive scramble drill. In the end, the Packers dialed up the blitz and forced a near-interception on fourth down to get the ball back inside the two-minute warning. Daniels’ rushing will keep him in the QB2 mix for Week 5 versus the Cowboys, but he will need to play better to keep the job beyond that game.

In addition to a clean report on his ligaments and tendons, the MRI also revealed no fracture. This is as good of news as the Buccaneers could have hoped for, as Mayfield’s absence is expected to be on the shorter end compared to what it could have been had the MRI revealed more damage. Head coach Todd Bowles said Mayfield is looking at a minimum three-week absence, which would put him in line to return for Week 7 against the Panthers if all goes well. Rookie UDFA Jalon Daniels, who went 0-for-3 passing with an interception against the Vikings, will draw the start in the Buccaneers’ Week 4 game against the Packers.

This is the “best-case” scenario, according to Rap. Mayfield will undergo an MRI to confirm the severity of his injury and could miss more time if an MRI reveals “significantly torn ligaments in his thumb,” per Rap. The Buccaneers will now pivot to rookie UDFA Jalon Daniels as their starter after Daniels won the backup job in camp. Daniels threw for 9,282 yards, 67 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions in six seasons at Kansas while also rushing for over 1,400 yards and another 23 scores. All Buccaneers pass-catchers will receive a significant downgrade heading into Week 4’s game against the Packers.

The Buccaneers’ quarterback slammed his throwing hand into a Vikings defender this afternoon and remained down for a while after the play. UDFA rookie QB Jalon Daniels is next up on the depth chart and would be the presumptive starter next week against the Packers if Mayfield cannot play.

Mayfield was down for a while after taking a big hit from two Vikings defenders late in the fourth quarter, and replays showed his thumb slamming against one of the Minnesota players in a way that might suggest a serious thumb injury on his throwing hand. An extended absence for Mayfield could prove disastrous for Tampa’s pass catchers, as undrafted free agent QB Jalon Daniels would be the team’s starter. Mayfield threw for 217 yards, one touchdown, and one interception before his exit. Daniels would be an interesting superflex add considering his rushing ability.

Daniels (6’1”/219) spent six years in college and started seven games as a true freshman for the Jayhawks in 2020. The dual-threat QB who amassed 1,445 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns at Kansas has an inconsistent production profile, throwing for 20-plus touchdowns just once in his career and completing only 61.5 percent of his passes. Daniels’ ability to escape defenders with his legs doesn’t make up for his inadequacies as a passer, and his accuracy and decision-making are both major question marks at the next level. Daniels benefited from a higher rate of RPO plays (20.3 percent, per TruMedia) in his final season, but he won’t benefit from those easier reads in the pros. His athleticism (4.65 40-yard dash) may warrant a further look in camp, but Daniels faces an uphill battle to make a 53-man roster.

No two-ways about it: Kansas was a different team after Daniels took over as starting quarterback earlier this month. In his first 2021 start, the Jayhawks upset Texas, and they followed that up with a narrow three-point loss to TCU last week before today’s showing. KU HC Lance Leipold left it up to Daniels whether he wanted to keep playing and burn a redshirt or not, and Daniels obviously made the correct decision in hindsight. Because of it, he’ll go into the spring as the heavy front-runner over Jason Bean for the 2022 gig.

Daniels (6'0/203), who wrested control of the starting quarterback job from Jason Bean, was effective again this week completing 73 percent of his passes in addition to rushing six times for 37 yards and a score on the ground. His best pass came on a well placed throw between multiple defenders that allowed Luke Grimm to elevate at least three feet in the air to haul in a 28-yard touchdown. Daniels rallied the Jayhawks back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to tie the game, only to have TCU drive down the field and kick a field goal with :06 remaining to give the Horned Frogs the narrow three-point win. Despite the loss, Kansas has found it’s QB of the present and the future in Daniels.

If you’re Jaylon Daniels (6'0/203), the last thing you’re doing is sitting out the rest of the season after you just pulled off perhaps the most unprecedented win of the 2021 college football season. You know the story by now, Daniels led the Jayhawks into Austin, Texas for a matchup with the Longhorns, completed 21-of-30 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns and upset Texas 57-56 in an overtime win. Kansas head coach Lance Leipold shared in a press conference on Tuesday that the original plan for Daniels was to redshirt him this season, but now he appears to be the starter going forward. Daniels had his chance to shine after Kansas lost starting quarterback Jason Bean to injury in Week 10. Now at 2-8 on the season, the Jayhawks will look to pull off another upset win over TCU on Saturday.

Daniels (6'0/203) got the nod with QBs Jason Bean (head) and Miles Kendrick (leg) suffering injuries last week in the rivalry game with Kansas State. Daniels also rushed 11 times for 45 yards and a score, and his pass on a two-point conversion to freshman FB Jared Casey, who was only in the game due to a late injury to TE Mason Fairchild. It was the first win for Kansas in Austin in program history, and one of the last chances with the Longhorns to depart for the SEC soon. Kansas will try to carry over the momentum to TCU next Saturday.